Turnabout Reversal
by Sparkers16
Summary: Maya Fey has been murdered, and Phoenix only trusts one person to make sure the killer is given a guilty verdict...himself. With a reunion interrupted with a murder, a massive prison break, a zany client, and a cold, fury-driven prosecutor, this may just be the most shocking turnabout yet. First in the Rev Trilogy.
1. Chapter 1

**_May 10th, 8:32 AM_**

**_Wright Anything Agency _**

Apollo Justice and Athena Cykes peered around the Wright Anything Agency. As per usual, the small office was crammed with all sorts of props for Trucy's magic shows and mountains of attorney paperwork. Everything was there...except for Wright himself.

"Huh...I wonder where he is?" Athena said. "We came at 8:30, like we're supposed to every morning...did Boss sleep in?"

"I doubt it," Apollo replied. _Though Mr. Wright does seem like the kind of person to miss a meeting at his own house..._ "Maybe he's off somewhere. Hey, Phoenix Wright? Trucy?!" Apollo called. "IS ANYONE HOME?!"

"Kid, you don't have to shout!" A deep voice responded from another room. "He told me you were loud, but you don't need to bust my eardrums!"

"What the...who's there?" Athena said nervously. A man walked into the cluttered room. He was broad-shouldered and tall, with a huge olive trench coat.

"Who are you?! What are you doing here?!" Apollo growled.

"Calm down, kid!" the man raised up his hands. "The name's Gumshoe. Dick Gumshoe. I'm a detective. My pal sent me here to baby-sit his little girl."

"You mean Trucy?" Apollo said, referring to Phoenix Wright's adopted daughter.

"Hi, Polly!" Trucy Wright ran into the room, wearing her usual magician's costume.

"I wish you would stop calling me that," Apollo muttered. "So this scruffy dude is watching you?"

"Scruffy...?" Gumshoe said, hurt. "I just shaved this morning..."

"Yeah!" Trucy replied excitedly. "Uncle Gumshoe's been hanging out with me while Daddy's gone. We're having so much fun! I showed him my magic panties, and he showed me a real life pistol and Taser!"

"YOU WHAT?!" Apollo and Athena screamed at Gumshoe, who looked embarrassed.

"I know, right?!" Trucy squealed. "I'm totally gonna use them for my new magic tricks!"

_Trucy's alread_y _threatening enough without access to deadly weapons! _Apollo grimaced. "So, Mr. Gymshoe...Mr. Wright put you in charge of Trucy?"

"It's 'Gumshoe!'" he retorted. "And, uh, yeah. I've always been great with little kids."

_How is showing a young girl guns and Tasers "great with little kids?!"_

"Where is Boss off to, anyway?" Athena questioned. "Did he tell you?"

"Uh-huh. He's at Curry Village, or something like that, 'visiting an old friend.'"

"Curry Village?" Apollo raised one eyebrow.

"Hey, I'm probably wrong! Don't be so judgmental, kid, I don't have a good memory!"

_If you don't have a good memory, why'd you become a detective?_

"Anyway, he told me to watch his little girl, and I should explain where he went to the 'red guy with weird hair' and the 'girl dressed in yellow who also has weird hair.'"

"Boss, telling US we have weird hair?" Athena said, dejected. "Isn't that a bit...hypocritical?"

Gumshoe shrugged. "That's what he told me. You work for Wright, right? He said he'd be gone for a day or two. I guess you two have the day off."

"Cool!" Athena exclaimed. "I've never gotten a day off before!"

"Me neither," Gumshoe admitted. "My salary's so low, if I took a day off I wouldn't have enough money to park my car. Luckily, Wright's paying me!"

"So what do you guys wanna do?" asked Trucy. "Let's all go out together! We can go bowling!"

"Have you ever even been bowling before, Trucy?" Apollo said.

"Nope! But there's a first for everything! C'mon, let's go!"

As Trucy rushed them all out the front door, Apollo thought of something.

"Hey, uh, Gumshoe. Who did Mr. Wright say he was visiting?"

"He didn't say," Gumshoe answered. "But I have a pretty good idea who..."

_**May 10th, 5:59 PM**_

_**Kurain Village**_

Phoenix stepped off of the bus, his shoes gently scraping the soft brown soil of Kurain Village. It had been a long time since he was last here. Almost a decade. And though they still exchanged letters frequently, it had been too long since he had last seen...her. Phoenix scanned the few villagers who were out, tending to the gardens and walking through the dirt roads. Surely her appearance would've changed after eight years...but none of them looked like her.

"Oh my gosh, Nick! You came!" A feminine voice shouted from off to Phoenix's right side. He found himself breaking into a grin. There was only one girl who called him 'Nick.'

All of the breath whooshed out of Phoenix's lungs as he was wrapped in a massive bear-hug by his former assistant and best friend, Maya Fey.

"Ack! Maya...you're...choking...me!"

"Oops," Maya giggled, stepping back. "It's so great to see you, Nick! You haven't changed a bit!"

Phoenix surveyed Maya. She had grown a bit he had last seen her, about a few inches. She had a tan, her long, black hair was cut shorter, and she wore grander acolyte clothes, no doubt from her current position as Master of the Kurain Channeling Technique. But otherwise, Maya Fey's appearance had remained virtually identical to all those years ago.

Maya had that same inquisitive look on her face. Her personality hadn't seemed to have changed much, either. "Hm...though now that I think about it, you DO look a bit different. I wonder why..."

Phoenix laughed. "What, do I have a wrinkle? Or gray hair? I'm still aging, you know."

"No, that's not it," Maya frowned. "AHA! It's that!" Maya pointed to Phoenix's forehead.

"What? Is there something on my face?"

"No, it's your hair! There's a strand that's hanging over your forehead!"

"Oh...that. Yeah, I can't keep it in place," Phoenix said. _Really...? That's the only thing that's changed about me in eight years? _

"Then we'll just cut it off! We can't have your spiky do looking imperfect, Nick. Hold on, I'm gonna get a pair of scissors!" Maya started to run off.

"Hold it!" Phoenix protested. "I've already have this strand cut off enough times!"

Maya stopped. "Huh? By who?"

"By a samurai prosecutor convicted of murder."

"WHAT?! Nick, you met a real life SAMURAI and you didn't even tell me?! Argh! You're such a dimwit sometimes!"

"Seems like we have a lot of catching up to do."

"Yep! Let's go out on the town, Nick! I haven't had a burger in ages!"

"When exactly was the last time you had a burger?"

Maya pondered that. "Hm...around two days."

"I suspected as much. The usual joint?"

"Definitely!" Maya beamed. "But I need to change into regular clothes first. My old training clothes were okay, but I can't go out in public wearing this!" Indeed, Maya's Master clothes consisted of a jeweled staff and a long, embroidered robe that went all the way to the ground. She would look ridiculous in the city. Maya disappeared into Fey Manor, where she lived. After a couple minutes, she came out wearing a t-shirt and jeans.

"Wow, I don't think I've ever actually seen you wear normal clothes," Phoenix said.

"Same goes for you!" Maya countered. "You never wear anything except for that old blue suit!"

_If only you knew, Maya, if only you knew... _Phoenix lamented. "Alright, let's get going."

_**May 10th, 9:08 PM**_

_**Fey Manor**_

_**Maya's Bedroom**_

"I don't think you've actually seen my room before, Nick," Maya said. They had just returned from their dinner at the burger joint, where Maya, of course, had eaten nine hamburgers. _Seems like the older she gets, the more her appetite grows! _

"Nope...I'd definitely remember a room like this," Phoenix snorted. Unlike the rest of the old-fashioned Fey Manor, Maya's room was painted in hues of neon pink and purple. Posters of the Steel Samurai, the Pink Princess, and tons of other kids show heroes Phoenix didn't know were plastered up against every inch of the wall. And surprisingly, hidden behind a mountain of DVD cases, was a small TV.

"I didn't realize they had TV all the way up here," Phoenix commented.

"This is the only one," Maya said proudly. "I got it for my birthday. Now everyone can watch samurai shows whenever they want!"

"And let me guess; you don't let people watch anything else?"

"Don't be snarky, Nick," Maya scolded. "Besides, who would want to watch anything but epic heroes battling evil villains and sticking up for the defenseless?"

"Touché." _There's no point arguing with Maya..._

Maya smiled mischievously. "So, Nick...how about a marathon of the Pink Princess?"

"Maya, it's late."

"Oh, come on," Maya whined. "It's only nine o' clock! I know you haven't seen the Pink Princess in, like, forever. Pretty please with a cherry on top?"

"Fine, we can watch ONE episode," Phoenix relented. "But after that, I'm going to bed."

"Yay! I'll put the DVD in."

"Go ahead and do that. I'm gonna get ready for bed," Phoenix said. "Where's the bathroom again?"

"Third door on the right," Maya answered quickly.

"Thanks."

_**May 10th, 9:14 PM **_

_**Fey Manor**_

_**Bathroom**_

Phoenix set his small bag packed with all the things he'd need for his stay at Kurain Village down on the bamboo floor of the bathroom. He took out his toothbrush and toothpaste, and started brushing his teeth at the tiny, old-looking sink.

_I can't believe I'm seeing Maya in person after so long away...and she even said that Pearls and some other of our old friends are coming tomorrow, too. It feels surreal...I wonder how everyone else is doing? _Phoenix's thoughts were interrupted by a scream. A high-pitched, piercing scream that rung in his ears and closed a cold hand around his heart.

"NIIICK!"

"MAYA!" Phoenix cried, running out of the bathroom in his pajamas to Maya's room. It was there he saw her.

Slumped on the ground.

Lying in a pool of blood.

Dead.

"No...NOOOO!" Phoenix wailed, bending down and shaking her by the shoulders. "MAYA! Maya...please, wake up! Don't leave me!" It was no use. Her skin was cold to the touch, and her eyes were glazed and empty.

Phoenix looked up and caught sight of a woman clambering out of the window. A woman clutching a bloody knife.


	2. Chapter 2

**_May 12th, 2:38 PM_**

**_Wright Anything Agency _**

Apollo, Athena, Trucy, and Gumshoe were about to leave the Wright Anything Agency, sweating under the coats they had to wear in the hot weather.

"Ice skating, Trucy?" Apollo groaned. "Really?"

"Of course!" Trucy replied. "I've never been ice skating before. Now's the perfect time to try! We've already been bowling, rock-climbing, swimming, and zip lining...next up on the 'To Do' list is ice skating!"

"But it's May! This coat's so hot, I'm gonna get a heat stroke!" Athena complained.

"And reservations for the ice rink were awfully expensive," Gumshoe added.

Apollo scratched his chin. "Uh...Trucy? Are we going on all these pricy ventures because your father isn't here to object about it? I noticed you're using his credit card to pay..."

"Darn it, you found me out!" Trucy pouted. "Oh, well. We can still go ice skating, right?"

"No!" Apollo shook his head. "Oh, geez, we're gonna get in HUGE trouble when Mr. Wright comes back..."

"Aw, don't be such a spoil-sport, Apollo!" Athena giggled. "Ice skating is so fun! Besides, what Boss doesn't know won't hurt him."

_It'll hurt him when he sees his credit card bill at the end of all this..._ Apollo shivered at the thought of Phoenix's wrath. He was always a penny-pincher. "Sorry. The answer is no."

"Boo," Athena, and surprisingly, Gumshoe whimpered.

"AJ stands for Annoying Jerk!" Widget, Athena's AI partner growled.

"Widget!" Athena cried.

"I guess that's just the way the cookie crumbles, you guys," Trucy sighed. "Polly has the authority here. After all, he is Daddy's WRIGHT-hand man!"

"Thank you, Trucy," Apollo said. "Though I could do without the terrible puns..."

"Anytime!" Trucy beamed, ignoring the insult.

"Well, at least we can take off our winter clothes," Athena said.

"Oh, yeah!" Gumshoe agreed. "I can't wait to take off this annoying coat!"

Athena eyed his trench coat. "Um...don't you always wear that coat?"

"Hey, you're right, kid! I should take it off sometime."

There was a long pause.

"Well? Aren't you?"

Gumshoe shrugged. "Nah, I'll keep it on."

_Is there something wrong with this guy? _Apollo thought. "Uh, okay. Here, let me take all your coats and hang them up...except for you, Gumshoe."

"Aw!" Trucy said. "Polly's acting like a real gentleman!"

"Hey, I bet I can be ten times a better gentleman than you, Apollo!" Athena exclaimed, a competitive glint in her eyes.

"Uh, Athena, to be a gentleman...you kinda have to be a guy."

"Nuh-uh!" Athena protested. "I'm sticking up for women's rights! I'll take those coats myself!" Athena snatched the heavy coats from Apollo's hands and ran off to the closet.

"Is she...always like that?" Gumshoe asked.

"Yup," Trucy answered. "Well, if we can't go ice skating, I'm gonna watch TV." She plopped herself down on the couch in front of the television.

"Hey, wait!" Apollo said. "What about the cable bills? Mr. Wright might get angry at us if we use the TV too much..."

"You're starting to sound just like Daddy," Trucy rolled her eyes.

"His cheapness must be rubbing off on you!" Athena yelled from inside the closet.

"H-hey! I'm not cheap! Urp...go ahead, Trucy. Watch as much TV as you want."

Trucy grinned and turned on the TV. The news was on.

"Just last night, a murder happened at-"

"Boring!" Trucy complained, changing the channel.

"Trucy, wait!" Apollo grabbed the remote from her. "Maybe we can take on a new case!" He changed the channel back to the news.

"-Village. A suspect has been arrested. Sadly, the victim of this murder was the Master of the village, Maya Fey."

"Maya Fey?" Athena repeated, walking back from the closet. "That name sounds familiar..."

"Yeah, I think I've heard that name somewhere before," Trucy said. "From Daddy, maybe?"

Apollo nodded and looked over at Gumshoe. "Mr. Gumshoe? Do you know who she is?"

Gumshoe was slowly sinking to his knees, shock and sadness stricken upon his face. "No...not her...not that girl..."

Apollo gaped. "What? D-do you know her?"

Gumshoe said nothing. He was crouching on the floor now, his face cupped in his hands.

"Uncle Gumshoe?" Trucy whispered. "W-what's wrong?" No answer.

"I can sense his grief," Athena said sadly. "It's extremely strong. I think Detective Gumshoe needs to be left alone for a while..."

"Where should we go?" Apollo asked.

"To the Detention Center, of course!" Trucy exclaimed.

"What? Why?"

"Well, the news said that they arrested a suspect, didn't they?" Trucy reasoned. "You guys are gonna defend them, obviously! I'll stay here with Uncle Gumshoe, in case he feels like talking." _Judging by the way he's acting, it doesn't look like that will happen anytime soon..._

"Oh, that makes sense!" Athena said. "Let's go, Apollo! I hope Mr. Wright doesn't mind if we take a case without his knowledge."

"Uh, I mean, we haven't decided for sure whether we'll take the case or not..." Apollo sighed. "We don't even know anything about what happened!"

"Then we'll learn!" Athena retorted. "Race ya!" She ran off.

**_May 12th, 2:51 PM_**

**_Detention Center_**

**_Visitor's Room_**

"Hm, I wonder who the defendant is?" Athena thought out loud as they waited to meet their possible client.

"I have no idea," Apollo said. "But I feel like there's already something...different about this case."

"Maybe it's because our Boss isn't here?" Athena guessed.

"No, that's not it. I can't stop thinking about the victim. Maya Fey. I could've sworn I've heard that name before."

"Me too. You know, I think Mr. Wright has said that name a couple times before...oh, no!"

"What's wrong?" Apollo asked.

"I bet he knew the victim somehow," Athena breathed. "He must be mourning over her death..."

"Yeah..." Apollo concurred. "You know, I'm getting a bit worried about Mr. Wright. We don't know where he is, and we just heard that someone he knew died. I hope nothing bad has happened to him."

Athena sighed. "Knowing Mr. Wright and his luck, something bad has DEFINITELY happened to him."

The sound of footsteps startled Apollo and Athena. Someone was walking towards them from the other side of the glass divider. As this person sat down, Apollo got a good look at her. She was a young woman, probably in her twenties. She wore a large hoodie striped with blue and white, in which her hands were shoved in the pockets. Her skin was extremely pale, almost white. Her hair was dark brown, but streaked with red, orange, blue, purple, and silver. She had long bangs that got in her eyes and looked like a pain to see through. But the most striking thing about this woman was her left eye...or rather, the small metal gadget that completely covered her eye. It was made of some sort of steel and had lines running through it that glowed red. Apollo was sure he had seen an eyepiece like that somewhere before...on the news, maybe? He couldn't remember meeting anyone in person who had such an odd gadget.

"Hello there," Athena broke the silence. "Um...are you the person being accused of murder?"

The woman glared at them, and pressed two fingers to her temples. "No, of COURSE I'm not being accused of murder. I'm just wasting away in this prison cell for FUN."

"She's being sarcastic, Apollo," Athena whispered. "I can sense her anger."

"I can tell," Apollo seethed. "I'm not an idiot."

"So, uh, what's your name, ma'am?" Athena questioned tentatively.

"Depends on who you ask," she said dismissively.

"W-what?" Apollo gasped. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean that I have more than one name," she snarled. "It's not rocket science. But you can call me 'Mena.'"

"Mena, huh?" Athena said. "I don't think I've ever heard a name like that before. It's very pretty."

"Heh, I'm glad you think so," Mena smirked. _Seems like flattery is the way to go with her... _"The others think their names are..." Mena's eyes widened and she covered her mouth. "N-never mind."

"Huh? What were you about to say?" Apollo pressed. "Something about 'the others'...?"

"It's none of your business, okay?!" Mena bellowed. "Just get out! I don't want to talk to anyone right now, let alone a couple annoying kids trying to sell newspaper subscriptions!" _Annoying kids? You don't look much older than us..._

"We're not selling anything!" Athena protested. "We want to defend you in court!"

Mena narrowed her eyes. "Oh? Well, I don't want a bunch of loud, nosy weirdoes defending me! The answer is-" Suddenly, Mena stiffened up and sat there rigid. The glowing lines on her eyepiece changed from piercing red to a soft silver.

"M-Ms. Mena?" Apollo said. "Are you okay?"

Mena was jolted back into reality. "Oh, um...yes. I'm okay..."

"What in the world?!" Athena cried.

"Athena?"

"It's her mood! It's completely reversed!" Athena explained.

"What's wrong with this lady?" Widget inserted.

"Ms. Mena," Apollo said. "Are you sure you're fine?"

"M-my name...isn't...Mena..." she said, her long bangs hiding her face from view.

"W-what?! But you just said that's what your name was!"

"My name's...Emily..." Me-er, Emily said. "I would love it if you two could defend me in court...if that's alright with you..."

"But you just said you didn't want us to," Athena said, baffled.

Emily whimpered. "I-I changed my mind...but you can say no, I won't mind..."

"Of course we'll defend you!" Athena grinned. "But we'll need to ask you some questions first."

"That's for sure," Apollo mumbled. _There's something odd about her, I can just sense it. She just changed her name, and went from being steaming mad to quiet and shy with a snap of the finger! _

"Ask away," Emily nodded. "But...I'm sorry if I can't answer all of your questions..."

"Well, for starters, what's that weird thing over your left eye?" Athena said. "Is it a fashion statement or something?"

Emily's fingers brushed against the eyepiece. "No...it's not a fashion statement. I need it to see out of this eye..."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Athena murmured. "What happened?"

"I was in a car accident a while ago... The windshield shattered, and a sharp piece of glass stabbed into my left eye. The doctors...they wanted to do an experiment. They had already used a machine like this once before, to allow a man to see out of both his eyes. It's the same machine, recreated...in my case, but only for one eye. It really works...though I can't see the color red."

"That's so cool!" Athena said. "It's incredible how medicine has advanced in our lifetime, physically and mentally! What about the streaks in your hair? Are they form or function?"

"Form, I guess... They represent-"

"Uh, Athena? Maybe we should be asking her questions about the MURDER," Apollo interrupted, getting a bit irritated at the girl-talk.

"Oh, right. So, uh, didja do it?" Athena asked.

"N-no! Of...of course not..." Emily squeaked. Apollo noticed that the bracelet he always wore that allowed him to perceive if someone was lying didn't react. _So she must really be innocent._

"Don't worry, we believe you," Apollo said, seeing the hurt and confusion on Emily's face. "Can you tell us anything about the night of the crime?"

"I don't know anything...I wasn't there that night..."

Apollo's eyes widened as his bracelet tightened. _She's clearly innocent, but she's definitely hiding something... _"Ms. Emily, you need to tell the whole truth. I know you're hiding something from us."

Tears formed in Emily's dark eyes. "I-I'm not! I really don't know anything..." Just then, Apollo's bracelet loosened. _Huh? She doesn't know anything? Then why did it tighten before?_

Apollo frowned. "Uh, can you answer me one more time...were you there the night of the murder?"

"I-I wasn't there..." The bracelet tightened again. _So she's lying about not having been there, but doesn't know anything about the crime? This is weird...and I can't even perceive any twitches that show she's hiding something. _

"Apollo? Is anything wrong?" Athena said.

"I'll tell you later," Apollo replied. "Well, if you really don't know anything, then I guess there's nothing else to ask you...C'mon, Athena. We'd better get going."

"Wait!" Athena called to Emily. "You never told me about those streaks in your hair. What DO they represent?"

Emily flinched. "Oh...it's not important."

"You can tell me," Athena said, hurt. "You don't need to hide secrets..."

"Athena, do you really think hair streaks have anything to do with this case?" Apollo growled.

"I guess not. Where should we go now?"

"We need to investigate the crime scene," Apollo said quickly.

"But we don't know where the crime scene is!"

"The news said something about a village..."

"We should go back to the Agency," Athena suggested. "We might be able to find something out there."

**_May 12th, 3:23 PM_**

**_Wright Anything Agency_**

Apollo and Athena walked back into the cluttered office. Gumshoe was lying on the couch, apparently still consumed by grief. Trucy was sitting next to him, reading a newspaper.

"So, how did it go?" Trucy asked.

"We're gonna take the case!" Athena reported. "But our client doesn't seem to know anything about the murder, so she isn't a big help. We hardly know anything..."

"I've been reading the paper," Trucy said. "I jotted down some notes to help you guys."

"That's great!" Apollo smiled. "Where are they?"

Trucy giggled. "You know where they are!" _Oh, no, not the 'magic panties'... _"1, 2, 3, ta-da!" Trucy pulled out the large, zany pair of undergarments out of nowhere. She reached into the panties and pulled out a notepad.

Apollo took the notepad and read it. "Let's see...the murder of Maya Fey took place at Kurain Village, in her bedroom. Cause of death was being stabbed in the throat with a knife, but said knife has not yet been found. The time of death was sometime around 9:15 PM." Apollo read on. "Wait...what does that mean?"

"What's written there?"

Apollo scrutinized the notepad. "That's weird...the press is saying that this'll be an easy win...for the defense!"

"Really?!" Athena gasped. "That's like, never happened before!"

"I know!" Apollo agreed. "Apparently, there isn't nearly enough evidence to prove that Emily was the killer. But she's the most likely suspect, so they had no choice but to arrest her."

"Wow!" Athena exclaimed. "This might just be our very first EASY case!"

"Don't jinx it," Apollo said. "Thanks, Trucy. These notes will really help us."

"Oh, it's no problem!" Trucy replied happily. "I have something else to help you guys, too!" She reached into the panties again and pulled out a small, glowing green object that was shaped like a comma.

"Wait...isn't that..." Apollo started.

"Yup!" Trucy handed the object to Apollo. "It's Daddy's Magatama! Maybe you can use it to see people's secrets, too!"

"Trucy!" Apollo ran up to the magician. "You made Mr. Wright's Magatama appear...how?! Where is he?!"

Trucy shook her head. "Polly, a magician never reveals her secrets," she reprimanded.

Athena eyed the Magatama. "Do you think it'll work for us?"

"The only way to test is to question people," Apollo said. "We should continue our investigation."

**Phoenix Wright's Magatama added to Court Record.**

"Let's go check out Curry Village!" Athena exclaimed.

"It's 'Kurain Village,'" Apollo interjected.

"Same difference," Athena shrugged. "Okay, let's get investigating!"

**_Date: ? Time: ?_**

**_Chief Prosecutor's Office_**

The man slammed his hands down on the Chief Prosecutor's desk. "Edgeworth, this is your job. Stop stalling, just give me what I want already."

"No," Miles Edgeworth replied firmly. "I cannot allow you to do this."

"Why not? I passed the bar exam."

"With flying colors," Edgeworth grunted. "But you can't do this. I know you must be grieving over Maya's death-"

"This is about the pursuit of justice! Maya's death has nothing to do with it!"

"Maya's death has EVERYTHING to do with it. I've been reading about the five stages of grief: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. It appears you are currently suffering from Anger. Fury makes us do foolish things. I should know better than anyone."

"Fine, I'm angry. So what?! That woman needs to be given the guilty verdict! She's the murderer! I saw her with my own eyes!"

"Then testify!"

"Sure, I'd be glad to...if a prosecutor would even take the case!"

Edgeworth gritted his teeth. "I'm sorry. I don't believe you're lying...but all the evidence points to that woman not being the killer. No prosecutor in their right minds would risk taking this case...not even me."

"You're just like every other prosecutor. You all don't care about the truth...you only care about your spotless win records!"

"You know I've changed. I believe the truth is that the defendant is innocent. That is all," Edgeworth snorted. "I will not prosecute in a case where the accused is clearly innocent. It is unjust."

"Exactly. No one's taking this case; that's why I want to do this."

"I can't let you do it."

"Why? Is it illegal?"

"No."

"Then give me the badge already!"

"Remember how I always wanted to be a defense attorney when we were younger?" Edgeworth said quietly. "I didn't follow through with my dream. And I regret that decision more than anything."

"This is different, Edgeworth! I'm not doing this to punish myself! This is what I want!"

Edgeworth sighed. It was time to pull out the big guns. "Tell me...is this what Maya would want? What Mia would want?"

"Yes. I asked them."

"WHAT?!"

"I had Pearls channel them. They both said that if this was what I wanted, then I should do it."

"Is that so."

"It's the truth. I would even let you use the Magatama against me, but it's gone missing for some unfathomable reason."

Edgeworth hung his head. He knew he had been defeated. "If this is really and truly what you want...then I cannot deny you your request." Edgeworth slid the badge case over to the man's hand. "Just know that there is no going back..."

"Thank you for understanding," he said. He opened up the badge case and stared at the shiny new Prosecutor's badge, that glinted even in the scarce light.

"No going back, Wright."

"I know," Phoenix Wright said, pinning the Prosecutor's Badge to his lapel. "I'm going to win this case, I promise you. After all...they say former defense attorneys make the best prosecutors."


	3. Chapter 3

**_May 12th, 4:01 PM_**

**_Kurain Village_**

"So this must be Kurain Village...where the murder took place," Apollo said as they walked through the small, Japanese-style town.

Athena ran ahead of him, holding a pamphlet. "Wow, I've heard about this place...but I've never been! Did you know they have REAL spirit mediums here? Ooh, maybe we can watch a channeling!"

"We're here to investigate, not be tourists," Apollo reminded her. "Besides...it doesn't look like the villagers want much action." All the shutters on the bamboo cottages were shut tightly. No one was out, and the tiny village felt like a ghost town.

Athena stopped in her tracks, and sighed deeply. "Oh...they're all mourning for the Master. The sadness in their hearts is overpowering, now that I focus on it... I feel so bad for them."

Apollo put his hand on her shoulder to comfort her. "We're helping them by finding the real killer. Emily didn't do it...I think."

Athena raised an eyebrow. "You think? Apollo, we're supposed to have complete faith in our clients!"

"Of course I have faith in her! But...there's something odd about Emily." Apollo explained all that had happened with his bracelet while they were at the Detention Center.

Athena pondered that. "So...she doesn't know anything, but she was there on the night of the murder? That makes no sense!"

"I know. After we're done investigating, we should question her more...but I don't know where to start."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," Athena said as they neared Fey Manor.

**_Fey Manor_**

**_Meditation Room_**

Apollo and Athena entered the main room of the Manor. The huge room looked like some sort of dojo, with high ceilings and scrolls covered with Japanese letters pinned on the walls. In front of them was the Channeling Chamber, where spirit channelings took place. Apollo vaguely remembered reading about a murder that happened there a long time ago. To the right, according to the map on the pamphlet Athena had, was the Winding Way and the Side Room. To the left was where the residents of Fey Manor actually lived, with bedrooms, kitchens, and bathrooms. Thankfully, there were only a few police officers; the initial investigation must've already finished. Apollo and Athena slipped by the few officers down the left way, to where the crime scene was located.

_**Fey Manor**_

_**Maya's Bedroom**_

"Well, um, this room is certainly...interesting," Apollo observed. He could've sworn the neon pinks and purples of Maya Fey's room were hurting his eyes.

"I think the word you're looking for is 'messy,'" Athena narrowly avoided knocking over a huge stack of DVDs as they entered the room, ducking under the yellow police tape.

Athena walked into the room, scanning the area around her. Besides the gargantuan stacks of DVDs and the odd posters decorating the neon walls, she couldn't see anything out of the ordinary upon first inspection. "Wasn't the cause of death being stabbed with a knife? I don't see any bloodstains..."

Apollo froze. "Athena, don't move." _Should I tell her she's standing in the middle of the bloodstain? _

"Eek! Is there a spider on me?"

"No. Okay, now step back...slowly."

Confused, Athena followed his directions. She stepped back, and saw the crimson bloodstain on the carpet. The shape of a body was there, outlined in white tape. "W-was I just..."

"Yep. You were standing there."

"AAAGH!"

Apollo shook his head condescendingly as Athena freaked out. "You'd think you'd get used to blood, being on crime scenes all the time..." Then, he remembered Athena's past and felt a twinge of guilt for his outburst. Thankfully, she didn't seem to notice.

"Yeah, but I don't like STEPPING IN IT!" Athena took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. "Okay, okay, I'm good. So...is that where Fey was killed?"

"It has to be," Apollo said. He bent down to examine the white tape. "Hm...from the looks of this, she fell face down after she was stabbed."

Athena got a good look at the stain. "Where was she stabbed again?"

"The throat. I'm no expert on the human body, but I know a lot of important things are in there. Nerves, arteries... I'm willing to guess the death was almost instant."

"Hey, Apollo... Is it just me, or is the bloodstain a bit...small?" Athena asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Some of the biggest arteries are in the throat," Athena explained. "If they got severed, wouldn't there be much more blood than this?" The bloodstain was only a little more than a foot and a half wide.

"...Maybe the killer left the knife in her throat, which would mostly stop the blood flow?"

Athena shook her head. "No, remember? They haven't found the murder weapon yet. If it was never taken out, then there's no reason why it would be missing."

"Wow, you're right," Apollo conceded. "That's a mystery..."

**Bloodstain added to Court Record.**

Athena crossed the room, being sure to skirt around to bloodstain this time. "I don't see any other clues...hey, what's this?" She pulled something out from under Maya Fey's bed.

"What is that?" Apollo asked.

"I dunno," Athena replied, handing the object to Apollo.

It was a long, thin piece of orange paper. Apollo turned it over and gasped. There was blood on it!

Athena saw the red drops, too. "This...thing must've been there during the crime!"

Apollo nodded. He took a closer look at the strip, and saw words in black letters. He read them out loud. "E. Denue, Room B-58, Hickfield Clinic."

"Hickfield Clinic? Isn't that the hospital nearby?"

"Yeah. It's where Mr. Wright stayed after he got hit by a car. It's a long story," Apollo said in response to Athena's shocked features.

"So this thing came from there?"

"It must have. Actually, I think I know what it is. It's a hospital bracelet."

"You mean those annoyingly tight paper bracelets they put around your wrist when you're at a hospital that are a pain to rip off?" Athena inquired.

"Um...yes," Apollo said. _Well, that's certainly a way to describe them... _

"So if the bracelet was there during the crime, whoever was wearing it at the time is a suspect!" Athena exclaimed.

"That must be this E. Denue person!"

**Hospital Bracelet added to Court Record.**

Athena grinned. "We should go down to the Hickfield Clinic! They must have records of who E. Denue is!"

"But we need to continue investigating the crime scene," Apollo said. "And we have to go question Emily again, remember? We don't have an unlimited amount of time in the day."

Athena thought for a while. "Hey!" she perked up. "How about we split up? I'll go to the Hickfield Clinic, and I'll meet up with you at the Agency later! That way, we can do everything we need to prepare for the trial!"

"You know what? That's a really good idea!" Apollo realized. "Okay, we'll both meet back up at the Agency when we're done."

"See ya!" Athena waved and ran off. "Good luck!"

"Alright, I need to get back to investigating," Apollo said to himself once Athena was gone. After not being able to find anything interesting, he walked over to the large window at the edge of the room. He opened the window with little difficulty and found himself staring outside. There was a small stretch of grassy field, before...a dangerously steep cliff that could send anyone plummeting to their death. Not seeing anything of importance outside, Apollo was about to close the window when he looked down and saw something leaning up against the wall outside.

"Hey, it's a ladder!" Apollo noted. He stared at it for a long time, confused as to why he was doing so. _That's funny...why did I expect someone to tell me that it's not a ladder, it's a step-ladder? _Apollo shrugged it off and decided to climb down the step-ladder. Maybe he could find something of importance outside.

Apollo edged himself out onto the narrow strip of land, warily minding the drop. The flat land wasn't very large; only about as wide as a car. Apollo made that simile because as he looked closer, he saw tire tracks flattening the grass. _So there was a car here at one point...but when? _He followed the tracks as they went along the strip of land...then appeared to curve off the cliff. _Uh-oh... _He peered off the edge, but the rocky mountain cliff was so steep that he couldn't see the bottom. _Was there an accident here? I'd better take note of these tire tracks, just in case..._

**Tire Tracks added to Court** **Record**.

Apollo looked over the edge of the cliff one more time. _Hey...what's that? _About three feet down the cliff, he spotted a flash of something silver jutting out between two pieces of tan rock. Without thinking, Apollo squatted down on his belly and reached his arms down, trying to grab hold of the mystery object. Though he stretched his arms out as far as he could, he couldn't reach far enough. _Here goes nothing, _Apollo thought, inching forward on his belly as he extended his arms over the side. Inch by inch, he drew closer to the silver object, until finally, his fingers brushed against it. Most of his torso was dangling over the cliff, and Apollo felt his heart race as he closed his fingers around the object and began to pull it out. _One wrong move and I fall to my death...it's a good thing I'm not afraid of heights. _

With some effort, the object broke loose of its stony imprisonment. But Apollo barely had time to examine it before he heard a _crunch _that filled his heart with dread. The sound came from under him...the sound of breaking rock. Apollo scrambled and tried to hoist himself back up, but before he knew it, the rock that was supporting his lower body crumbled from the weight, and Apollo found himself sliding forward, then falling.

"AAAAAAARRRGH!" he screamed, closing his eyes and accepting his fate.

But before the young defense attorney met a horrible end, he felt something tighten around his ankles. Hands...someone was pulling him back up!

Apollo was dragged back onto the flat land. He felt the grass tickling his face, but refused to open his eyes. He was sweating and shivering, and every beat of his heart felt like the pound of a drum. _Okay, from now on I am OFFICIALLY afraid of heights! _

"Quit moanin' and git yer feet off the ground!" a female voice growled. She must've been the one who saved him. Apollo couldn't help but notice the strong Southern accent.

Apollo pulled himself up, and stared at his savior. She had a big, red afro and a fancy-looking camera around her neck.

"Are ya hurt?" the woman asked.

"I'm fine..."

"Glad ta hear it. Now, what in tarnation were y'all thinkin', danglin' yourself off the cliff like that? You Yanks are all foolish like that."

"I was trying to reach something," Apollo said, getting just a bit irritated at being called a "Yank."

"Well, didja reach it?"

"Yeah, I..." Apollo glanced down at his hands and saw that the silver object wasn't in his possession anymore. "Ack! I dropped it down the cliff!"

"So I helped ya for nothin'? Darn."

"Hey, don't regret saving my life, please!" Apollo said nervously. "Thanks for that, really. I would've been a goner..."

"Aw, it was no problem," the woman grinned. "The name's Lotta Hart, hailing from the heart of the heartland. I'm a crime scene photographer."

"A crime scene photographer?" Apollo repeated. "So...you're here on work?"

"Sorta," Lotta frowned. "I actually came here for a get-together with some old friends o' mine. But then the whole murder business happened, so of course I took the job."

"Have you taken any pictures yet?"

"Yup! But I don't go showing my photos to just anyone. You got a good reason to see 'em?"

"Well, I'm investigating this case," Apollo explained. "My name's Apollo Justice. I'm a defense attorney."

Lotta narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing Apollo. "Huh. Lawyer, fancy clothes, funny hair, weird name...you remind me a lot of an old friend o' mine."

"R-really? Who would that be?"

Lotta ignored Apollo's question. "Though that gets me wonderin'...where is Porcupine-Head anyway?"

"Porcupine-Head...? Uh, you wouldn't be talking about Phoenix Wright, would you?"

"Hey! You know 'im?!"

"Yeah. I work under him."

"Good! Then you can tell me where that nasty, abandoning scoundrel went off to! Why, I gotta smack him upside the head for makin' me come all the way to this dirty old village for nothin'!" she shouted.

Apollo gaped at the woman's temper. Despite her short stature, she looked threatening as she yelled, her voice slowly rising louder and louder. "Um, sorry, miss. I actually don't know where Mr. Wright is now..." Lotta glared at him, and Apollo braced himself for the verbal onslaught.

"Aint that just swell?! I gotta come all the way to this darned city from my happy home in the heartland for some dumb reunion thing, and NOBODY SHOWS UP EXCEPT ME! Maya, that sweet little girl, got KILLED an' I gotta drop everything an' work to the bone while I'm supposed ta be on VACATION! And then, I save some idiot Yank after he tried to JUMP OFF A CLIFF an' what do I get in return for all that?! NOTHIN'! NOTHIN' FROM YOU, NOTHIN' FROM THE COPS, NOTHIN' FROM ANYONE!" Apollo could practically feel the fire and ice of the furious woman's gaze attacking him.

_Urp, I think I just wet myself,_ Apollo thought, trembling. "Um...a-are you done, Ms. Hart?"

Lotta paused to think about it. "Reckon so."

"Well...um...can I see those pictures that you took of the crime scene?"

"Nope!" Lotta answered quickly.

"What?! Why not?!"

Lotta glowered again. "Do ya think I'm some dumb bimbo only 'cause I'm Southern?! I know very well that I'm not allowed to show ya evidence!"

"I...I see," Apollo said, dejected. _Darn it! Looks like she isn't going to leak me any evidence._

"Hm, well, actually...I'll tell you what, Mr. Lawyer. I'll show you my pictures...if you give me somethin' in return."

"It's a deal!" Apollo exclaimed before realizing, "Wait. I don't have anything you'd want..."

Lotta laughed. "No, I don't want an object. I want information."

"Information?"

"Uh-huh. I'll show you my pictures if you can tell me where Porcupine-Head is."

"So you can, er, 'smack him upside the head?'"

"Yessiree!"

"But I already told you, I don't know where Mr. Wright is!" Apollo said.

"C'mon! You're a lawyer, aint ya? Just use your...what do ya call it...logic!"

"Okay, I'll try," Apollo sighed.

_Alright, I need to piece together the facts and figure this out. Okay...so I know Mr. Wright knows Lotta from somewhere. Like she said, they're "old friends," and they were supposed to have a reunion in Kurain Village with a bunch of other people. And Athena and I have already deduced that Mr. Wright is also connected to the victim, Maya Fey...so I'm willing to bet that Fey was a part of this reunion. Mr. Wright took a vacation a couple days ago, and that was to come to Kurain Village. So, if he was staying here, that must mean that he was here on the night of the murder. And if he really was good friends with Fey, he would probably stay within close proximity of her...which would mean he could be a witness to the murder!_

_Athena and I assumed that he must be off alone, grieving, but now that I think about it, that doesn't sound like Mr. Wright. He's the kind of person who would take action. Maybe he's going to testify in court tomorrow, and the fact that we haven't seen him is just a coincidence. If that's true, where would he be now...? Investigating? No, then I would've seen him already. So if he's a witness, and he's not investigating, then...of course! _

"I believe I know where Mr. Wright is currently!" Apollo yelled.

"Huh? Where?" Lotta asked.

"He would be..."

**_"Take That!"_**

"At the Prosecutor's Office, discussing the case with the prosecutor for tomorrow's trial!"

"Really? Are ya sure?" Lotta questioned.

"Yes. Since Mr. Wright was here at the night of the murder, it's safe to assume that he's a witness! And if he was, then he'd be with tomorrow's prosecutor, going over his testimony and composure for the trial."

"Well, I sure can't think of anythin' else..." Lotta said.

"And I haven't seen him anywhere else."

Lotta shrugged. "Alright, thank ya kindly. I better git going!"

"Hey, what about the pictures?" Apollo stopped her.

"Here ya go," Lotta said, reaching into her bag and handing Apollo two pictures. "Now I'm gonna go an' give Porcupine-Head a piece o' my mind!"

_I apologize in advance, Mr. Wright, _Apollo sighed inwardly as Lotta ran off, her hands clenched in fists. He took out the first picture and got a good look at it.

The first picture was an overview of the crime scene. Not much was changed from when Apollo had seen it himself. The only differences he could see were that the body of Maya Fey was lying there in the small blood pool, and upon closer inspection, the window was open. Apollo remembered it being closed when he inspected the crime scene. He tried to get a better look at the body, but the photo was too zoomed out. Seeing nothing else important, Apollo filed the photo into the Court Record.

**Crime Scene Photo added to Court Record.**

He pulled out the second photo. It was a close-up of the body. Maya Fey was wearing a colorful, embroidered kimono, which was stained with blood. Apollo traced the source of the blood to the source, which made his stomach turn. There was a deep cut at the back of the throat, no doubt fatal. Apollo remembered the notes Trucy took: "Cause of death was being stabbed in the throat with a knife, but said knife has not yet been found." Indeed, no knife was anywhere near the body.

_Wait...no...knife...? _Apollo thought slowly. _A...knife? _

He remembered, just a while ago, reaching for the mystery silver object, holding in his hands for a split second before dropping it into oblivion. And when he racked his brain, he was sure he could remember seeing a flash of red on the silver. Blood.

_A knife...no, it can't be... _But Apollo couldn't deny the truth. The silver object, the knife that was lost now, was the murder weapon.

* * *

**_There goes another chapter! Sorry this took me so long to write, I've been really busy. And yes, this story is an excuse to bring all the old characters back._**


	4. Chapter 4

**_May__ 12th, 6:49 PM_**

**_Wright Anything Agency_**

As soon as Apollo stepped back into the Agency, he was greeted with two massive bear-hugs from Trucy and Athena. "Ack...can't...breathe!" he wheezed as they squeezed him ever tighter.

Athena stepped back. She was wearing a smile, but by the tears in her eyes and Widget's indigo color, he could tell something was wrong. "Oh, Apollo! We're so glad you're okay..."

Apollo scratched his head. "What...? Why wouldn't I be?"

"Didn't you see the news?" Athena said.

"Uh, no. I was at Kurain Village. You know, completely cut off from civilization."

"Or maybe Polly's just getting old," Trucy cracked despite her anxious demeanor.

"C'mon, tell me what happened!" Apollo pressed, getting a little nervous himself.

"It's terrible, Apollo..." Athena winced. "We saw it on the news. There was a huge prison break in a maximum-security prison a few days ago. They only found out about it because all the guards and authorities at the prison were killed. All those criminals...ruthless murderers escaped into freedom. And...and then..." Athena stopped, clenching her fists as tears spilled out of her eyes.

"There were rumors that they were headed towards Kurain Village!" Trucy finished, her voice shaking.

"Oh..." Apollo breathed, feeling a little faint. "I'm sorry, you two. But it's okay, right? I'm fine. You can see that." Trucy and Athena nodded gravely.

Apollo couldn't help but feel that someone was missing. "Hey...where's Detective Gumshoe?"

Trucy sighed. "Uncle Gumshoe got called down to the precinct to work on the case. He is the head detective, after all."

"Head detective? Scatterbrained Gumshoe?" Apollo said incredulously.

"He's been on the force longer than any other detective," Trucy explained. "He has lots of experience."

"That's nice for him," Apollo said. "Oh, right! Athena, what did you find at the Hickfield Clinic?"

Athena looked uncomfortable. "Um...why don't you tell us what you found first, Apollo?"

"Uh, okay," he frowned. He showed and explained to them everything he'd found, including the step-ladder against the window, the tire tracks, and the two pictures of the crime scene. But he left out the knife, the probable murder weapon. _I could have a search put in for the knife...but what if it's not what we wished for? What if it has Emily's fingerprints on it or other incriminating evidence? I know it's illegal to conceal evidence, but I don't want to take that chance... If I don't tell anyone about it, maybe no one will find it. And if they do find it, I'll just act like I've never seen it before. _That was his plan.

"That's really good, Apollo," Athena said, but she looked downcast. "You've made a lot of progress..."

_This must have something to do with what she found... _"Alright, Athena. Tell me what you found out."

"I went down to the Hickfield Clinic and looked through their records. I...found out who E. Denue is."

"That's great!"

"I-it's not," Athena sniffled. "E. Denue...that would be...Emily Denue."

It took a couple seconds for that to sink in. "Emily Denue...as in...?"

"Yes. Our client."

"Oh."

**Medical Records added to Court Record.**

"Apollo...we determined that the hospital bracelet was there at the time of the murder. Do you think...she did it?"

Apollo shook his head. "No, I still think she's innocent. My bracelet didn't react when she said she didn't do it. But then again...it did tighten when she claimed she wasn't there on the night of the murder."

"I remember hearing discord in her voice," Athena added, "but I couldn't tell where it was coming from."

"I think it's pretty clear what we need to do," Apollo said. "We have to go question Emily again."

"Actually, I'm going to stay here, is that alright?" Athena replied.

"Uh...why?"

"We're going to research the prison break more," Trucy said.

"Again...why?"

Athena smiled a bit. "Well, the prison break was on May 8th. And the rumors about Kurain Village started right after. So Trucy and I were thinking that maybe one of the escaped convicts was the real killer in this case."

"Hey...you could be right!" Apollo exclaimed.

"We're going to research the escaped convicts. If any of them seem to have a motive or way to kill Maya Fey, then we could always point fingers at that person as a suspect."

"Great! Okay, you guys do that, and I'll go question Emily."

"Magnifique!" Athena grinned. "Let's split!"

**_May 12th, 7:32 PM_**

**_Detention Center_**

**_Visitor's Room_**

A little while after Apollo sat himself down at the Visitor's Room, he saw Emily walk in and sit herself down next to the glass screen. Her eyepiece, the one that allowed her to see out of her left eye, was glowing a warm yellow, unlike the last time. Apollo was a bit curious about the color changes, but decided not to ask.

"Um...hello," Apollo said awkwardly.

Emily smiled widely, though she looked confused. "Hi! Um...if you don't mind me asking...who are you?"

Apollo could literally feel his heart sinking. "I'm Apollo Justice. Your defense attorney...remember?"

"Oh, uh, right!" Emily chuckled nervously. "Thanks for, uh, defending me." _Why doesn't she remember me? Am I really that forgettable...?_

"Okay..." Apollo said suspiciously. "I'd like to ask you again about the murder, Emily." Emily giggled. "Hey! What's so funny?!"

"Oh, it's nothing," she snickered. "It's just kind of funny that people keep calling me 'Emily.'"

"W-why? That's your name..."

Emily burst out laughing again. _She's definitely not acting shy anymore... _"Hahaha! My name isn't Emily, silly!"

_She's changing her name...AGAIN?! Why?! _"Sorry, miss, but, uh, I'm pretty sure your name is 'Emily Denue.' It's documented in your medical records."

Emily's smile faltered a bit. "Oh...it is? Well, that's okay. It's not my name, but you can call me that if it makes you happy!"

"Erm, okay..." Apollo said. "Can I ask you some questions about the murder?"

"Sure!"

_I'm going to try and perceive her lies with my bracelet. Here goes nothing... _"Okay, I'll cut right to the chase. Were you at Kurain Village the night of the murder?"

"Kurain Village? N-no," Emily stammered, and Apollo immediately felt his golden bracelet constrict. He stared at Emily, examining every detail, but try as he might, he couldn't perceive any twitches whatsoever. _What the...why can't I perceive anything?! Is my bracelet screwing up or something?! Oh, no...what if it has stopped working?! Like...the energy has run dry! What do I do now?! _

Seeing Apollo's disbelieving look, Emily cried, "I'm n-not keeping any secrets! I-I swear!"

_Not keeping any secrets...of course! _Apollo thought. _I have Mr. Wright's Magatama with me...maybe I can use it! Now, how did he do it again?_

Apollo reached into his pocket and grasped the glowing green Magatama in his hand. It felt warm, pulsing...almost as if it were alive. "Emily, I'm not sure I believe you. I'll ask you one more time: Were you there the night of the murder?"

"N-no!" Emily denied. As soon as she said this, Apollo gasped as the world around him went dark. The only things he could see now were himself and Emily. And then, with a loud rattling sound, long chains came from nowhere and seemed to knot themselves around Emily as if they had a mind of their own. To finish it off, the chains were locked with two, red-and-yellow locks. Psyche-Locks, if he recalled correctly. _So this is what using the Magatama is like... Now it's time to break those locks! _

"I'm sorry, Emily, but I just don't believe you," Apollo said. "I think you were there that night."

"B-but I wasn't!" Emily protested. "You...you have no proof!"

"Actually, I do have proof. Solid proof. And here it is..."

**_"Take That!" _**

Apollo presented the Hospital Bracelet. "You see, this bracelet was found on the crime scene. It has blood drops on it, so it must've been there when the victim's blood hadn't dried yet. And the name on this bracelet is Emily Denue. It's safe to say that this belonged to you."

"But that's not my name!"

Apollo shook his head. "I told you before, according to Hickfield Clinic medical records, that's your name. Besides, they had pictures of you there. Emily, it's clear you were wearing this bracelet at one point."

"Ack!" The first of the two Psyche-Locks shattered, and Apollo felt a rush of excitement. _One down, one to go!_

"So you WERE at Kurain Village," Apollo said.

Emily bit her lip. "That bracelet...it's not enough proof!"

"What do you mean it's not enough proof?!"

"Someone could've taken it from me and placed it on the crime scene!" _She has a point..._ "You need more to say that I was there. Do you have any other proof?"

"I...I think I do," Apollo said after leafing through the Court Record.

_**"Take That!" **_

"Emily, according the medical records, you were checked in at Hickfield Clinic on May 10th, at 1:37 AM. That would be the night of the crime...several hours after it took place!"

"S-so?"

"I'd like to ask you one more question: Do you own a car?"

"Well, I used to, but...Urp!" Emily gulped as she realized her mistake.

Apollo grinned. "Earlier today, you told me that your eye injury was the result of a car accident. And today, while investigating, I found tire tracks leading off of a mountain cliff at, you guessed it, Kurain Village. With the hospital bracelet, the time of your accident, and the tire tracks...coincidence? I think not! I propose that on the night of May 10th, you accidently drove off that cliff...meaning you were there the night of the murder!"

"N-nooo!" Emily squeaked as her final Psyche-Lock broke. The chains unwounded, and the darkness faded back into reality. _Wow...that was exhilarating! Maybe now she'll spill the beans..._

A few drops of water wormed their way out of Emily's right eye. "Fine...I was there," she sniffled. "My memory is hazy...but I remember this feeling of weightlessness as I fell off that cliff in my car. Then there was this huge sound, and the explosion, and all I could feel was pain. I remember touching my face, and all I could feel was blood, pouring out. It took the rescue team hours to come and get me, especially with the murder that just happened. I had to lie there, staring at the sky for hours as the life slowly bled out of me... I thought I was going to die. I thought I was going to die a slow, painful death after all I've worked for in my life..." She was now openly crying, and Apollo felt himself getting teary-eyed, too. "I didn't want to tell anyone...because then they'd think I was the murderer."

"I don't think you're the killer, Emily," Apollo said softly. "But can you tell me more about that night?"

"I...I can't remember. The doctors said I suffered bad head trauma during the fall...I can't remember anything from that night before the accident."

"I see..."

"But I didn't do it, I swear!" Emily sobbed. "I would know if I had killed someone. I would just know..." Apollo felt no tightening from his bracelet. Not trusting his bracelet completely anymore, he touched the Magatama, and no Psyche-Locks appeared. _I knew it. She's innocent._

"I believe you," Apollo said whole-heartedly. "You're not guilty, and tomorrow in court I'm going to prove it."

* * *

**_There goes the final chapter for the first investigation segment! Next chapter we'll be in the courtroom! Trust me, I'm just as hyped as all of you are. :P Unfortunately, the next chapter will most likely take the longest time to write yet, due to the fact that courtroom segments take TONS of pre-planning and thinking before you can even write 'em. Anyway, stay tuned!_**

**_Here is a review on all the profiles and evidence in the Court Record so far!_**

**_EVIDENCE  
_**

**_Attorney's Badge: This badge shows that I'm a genuine defense attorney. _**

**_Magatama: Belongs to Mr. Wright. Used to reveal secrets kept in people's hearts. Trucy found it somewhere._**

**_Bloodstain: Marks where the victim was killed. It looks a bit small for a fatal wound, though._**

**_Hospital Bracelet: E. Denue was staying at the Hickfield Clinic. Found at the crime scene and splattered with blood. _**

**_Tire Tracks: Tire tracks leading away from the crime scene. They appear to run off a cliff..._**

**_Crime Scene Photo 1: A picture taken of the crime scene by Lotta Hart. (shows Maya's bedroom, the window open, and the body on the ground.)_**

**_Crime Scene Photo 2: A picture taken of the victim's body. (shows Maya's body lying above the bloodstain. She is wearing embroidered robes and has a deep cut on the back of the neck.)_**

**_Medical Records: Emily was checked into Hickfield Clinic at 1:37 AM on the night of the murder. She was given optical surgery for a severe wound in her left eye._**

**_PROFILES_**

**_Apollo Justice (23): I've been a lawyer for quite a while now. I'm leading the defense for this case._**

**_Athena Cykes (18): My good friend and partner defense attorney. She has a talent for analyzing emotions with the Mood Matrix._**

**_Phoenix Wright (34): A skilled defense lawyer and head of the Wright Anything Agency. He's gone missing, though._**

**_Trucy Wright (17): Phoenix Wright's adopted daughter. She's a talented magician._**

**_Dick Gumshoe (40): An old friend of Mr. Wright and Head Detective down at the precinct. A bit scatter-brained._**

**_Emily Denue (24): Our client for this case. She's blind in her left eye. It's hard to get answers out of her, and she acts very weird..._**

**_Maya Fey (27, deceased): The victim, and Master of Kurain Village. She knew Phoenix Wright from somewhere._**

**_Lotta Hart (32): A fiery-temped crime scene photographer from the heartland. Came for the reunion at Kurain Village. _**


	5. Chapter 5

_**May 13th, 9:34 AM**_

_**District Court**_

_**Defendant Lobby No. 5**_

Apollo found himself yawning as he walked into the lobby. He immediately cursed himself for displaying his fatigue; today was the trial, and he needed to be in the best possible shape for it.

"Wow, Apollo. Even your yawns are loud," Athena said, as perky as ever.

"Makes sense. I was up practicing my Chords of Steel extra early this morning."

Athena shoved him playfully. "You don't need to tell me, mon ami. You're the one who woke me up at 5 in the morning with your 'exercises.'"

"If you woke up so early, then why are you so...energetic?"

"Coffee," Athena answered simply. "So, you ready for the trial?"

Apollo frowned. "I hope so... Yesterday, I proved that Emily was at least near the crime scene the night of the murder. It's going to be a rough ride in court." _Not to mention I found the knife that's the murder weapon...but I still haven't told anyone about that yet. _

"But I know we'll pull through!" Athena said. "Hey...do you know who the prosecutor is?"

"I have no idea."

"Maybe it's Simon?"

"Or Klavier?"

"Or Payne." Athena shuddered. "Ugh, I hope it's not that creep."

"Me neither," Apollo agreed. "I actually want a challenge."

Athena giggled. _Rippin' on Payne never gets old!_

"Hey, y'all!" a familiar, Southern voice yelled. _Oh, no, not her..._

Lotta Hart came running up to them, beaming like she had won the lottery. "Good luck in the trial today, Mr. Lawyer. Y'all are gonna need it!"

"Um, Apollo...who is that funny woman with the afro?" Athena whispered.

"HEY!" Lotta yelled. "I heard that, ya know! Don't you dare talk behind my back! What, just because you think I'm some uneducated Southerner means I won't notice if y'all gossip about me?!"

"No, that's not-" Athena started, infuriated.

"Athena, don't," Apollo interrupted. "There's no use arguing with Lotta Hart..."

"Gr...fine," Athena snorted, but Apollo could still see that she was angry at the situation.

"So, Ms. Hart...um..." Apollo trailed off, trying to change the subject.

"Spit it out, will ya!" Lotta snapped. "I can't stand Yanks like y'all stutterin' and mumbling all the dang time!"

Apollo gulped. "Well, uh, why are you here?"

"Well, I just wanted to tell y'all that you have no chance of winnin' this here trial. Zip. Zero. Nada," Lotta grinned.

Apollo mumbled, "That's not what the press is saying..." _Why is it always that people never expect us to win...? _

"Ha! To think I believed them dumb reporters! No siree, you aint gonna win, no matter what the tabloids say. I went down to the Prosecutor's Office yesterday, and I met the guy in charge of prosecutin' this case. He aint gonna let you get a not guilty this time, folks."

"Who's the prosecutor?" Athena asked, a touch of fear in her voice.

"I aint at liberty to tell y'all that."

"Then why'd you come here in the first place?!" Athena said.

"Uh...good question!"

"You just wanted to gloat to us, didn't you," Apollo said, narrowing his eyes.

"Maybe, maybe not!" Lotta pouted. "Anyway, I'd best get goin' now. I have more work to do at the crime scene."

"Hey, wait!" Apollo shouted as Lotta was about to walk out the door to the lobby. "Did you see Mr. Wright at the Prosecutor's Office, like I thought?"

Lotta spun around, caught off guard. But for some reason she looked...pleased? "Oh, yeah. I saw him, alright."

_So he really is a witness to the murder..._Apollo thought sadly. He had told Athena and Trucy his theory the previous night, and they all agreed that it was the most logical explanation as to why Phoenix was missing. Apollo didn't want to cross-examine his superior, and neither did Athena. The main reason is that they wouldn't want to anger their boss and create a rift between them. _Another reason is that, well, I'm scared to cross-examine him. Mr. Wright almost always tells the truth, and when he lies, his half-truths are so elaborate they give me a headache sometimes. He might just cause us to lose the trial, like Lotta said..._

"Did you, uh, knock him upside the head?" Apollo inquired, not sure what else to say.

Lotta seethed. "No, I sure didn't. That smooth-talkin' fancy-pants tricked me into leavin' him alone! But reckon course, I'm gonna give him the beatin' of a lifetime after the Judge hands down his verdict!"

"Er...good luck with that," Apollo chuckled nervously. _Maybe I should have the trial extended a day to save Mr. Wright's skin..._

"Hey!" Athena cried. "Don't you dare threaten our Boss like that!" Apollo froze up in fear. _Oh, no, Athena...you do NOT want to get on this woman's bad side! _

But to Apollo's surprise, Lotta just smirked again. "Ha! I bet y'all will WANT me to hurt him bad once this trial's done!"

"So he's a witness...?" Athena voiced Apollo's thoughts.

"Somethin' like that," Lotta smiled a toothy grin. And before they could question her further, Lotta Hart spun around on her heels and left.

"Athena...don't you think there was something...odd about the way she was acting?" Apollo thought out loud.

Athena shrugged. "I wouldn't know! This is the first time I've met her."

"She's a crime scene photographer. From the heartland."

"Yeah, I sort of figured that," Athena grunted. "She only said where she was from about a dozen times!"

"Well, from what I've heard from her, THAT'S pretty normal."

"Then what was odd about the way she was acting?"

"I think it has something to do with Mr. Wright. She tensed up a bit every time she mentioned him."

"Yeah, I noticed that," Athena admitted. "But I thought that was just because she was angry at him..."

"I'm not sure that's it," Apollo said. "It wasn't like she was angry...it was like she was nervous. Like she...was hiding something."

"Really? What do you think she's hiding?"

"I don't know. It's probably about Mr. Wright...so I guess we'll learn when we see him in court."

"Yeah..." Athena sighed, clearly downtrodden at the idea of cross-examining her boss as well.

"We should head inside soon," Apollo said. "The trial's about to start."

Athena nodded. "Alright. Let's go."

They were about to enter the courtroom when they were stopped by a shout of, "WAIT!" Apollo and Athena turned around and saw a young woman with a striped hoodie, streaked brown hair, and a glowing blue eyepiece running towards them. Their client, Emily Denue. Uniformed guards were flanking her, trying to drag her away, but Emily resisted as she cried out. "You two are my defense attorneys, right?!"

"Uh, yes," Athena answered, gaping at the scene in front of her.

"You don't understand! You can't defend me!" she yelled as the guards dragged her out of the room.

"What?! Why?!" Apollo tried to run up to her, but the guards stopped him, rapping billy-clubs against their hands. _Urk! _

"I did it!" Emily screamed. "I killed Maya! **I'm guilty!**" That was the last thing everyone heard before the guards forced her outside, and the door slammed shut.

Athena and Apollo exchanged horrified looks. "D-didn't she say she was innocent yesterday?" Athena squeaked.

"S-she did!" Apollo confirmed. "Why did she..."

But before they could discuss it further, a loud, tinny voice came over the intercom. "The defense and its defendant will make their way to the courtroom immediately!"

"What do we do, Apollo?" Athena panicked.

"W-we defend her," he answered, wishing his tone of voice was less shaky. "I mean, we've had clients who've claimed that they were guilty but were still innocent, right? Besides, I still think she's not guilty. Both my bracelet and Mr. Wright's Magatama didn't react when she said so yesterday."

"But you said your bracelet was acting kind of weird," Athena pointed out.

"Well, the Magatama wasn't. C'mon, Athena, we have to have faith in our clients!"

"You're right," Athena stood up straighter with renewed confidence, slamming her fist against her palm. "_Rendben_! Let's do this!"

_**May 13th, 10:00 AM**_

_**District Court**_

_**Courtroom No. 5**_

The audience in the courtroom rumbled as Apollo and Athena took their places at the defense's podium. Athena turned on Widget and scrolled through it's menu, making sure everything was in order. Apollo clenched his bracelet. _I have no idea why it's acting up, but for now, I don't think I can rely on my ability to perceive. And I don't think the Magatama works in court. I guess, for today, I'll have to only rely on Justice! ...And Athena's ability. _

"Order! Order in the court!" the old, thick-bearded man said from his seat. _Same old judge. _

"Court is in session for the trial of Ms. Emily Denue. Are the defense and prosecution prepared?"

"The defense is ready, Your Honor!" Apollo and Athena shouted, the former much louder.

"Er, no need to break the courtroom's eardrums, Mr. Justice," the Judge reprimanded. "And is the prosecution...um, where is the prosecution?" Apollo shifted his gaze to the prosecution's podium, which was empty.

"Well, if the prosecution is not present," the Judge said, "then I'm afraid I will have to declare a not guilty verdict." _Really? Is it going to be this easy...? _The Judge raised his gavel, and was about to bang it down when...

**_"Hold it!"_**

A voice interrupted from the prosecution side. _Nope, it'll never be that easy... _Apollo sighed inwardly. _Wait! That voice! It can't be..._

"The prosecution is ready, Your Honor," the voice said as a man walked to the prosecution's place. He wore a deep blue suit, a red tie, and his hair was black and spiky.

"Boss!" Athena's eyes lit up at the sight of Phoenix Wright. "You're okay!"

Phoenix caught sight of Apollo and Athena, and his expression changed to one of disdain. "Apollo? Athena? Hmph. I should've known you two would take this case." _Just what is that supposed to mean? _Apollo thought. _And why does Mr. Wright look angry at us? And why...why is he at the prosecution's bench?!_

"Mr. Wright!" the Judge exclaimed. "I believe you are on the wrong side of the courtroom..."

"Are you going to help us out?" Athena asked excitedly.

He snorted. "You would both be wrong. You see...I'll be the one prosecuting this case."

Immediately, the courtroom erupted into whispers, gasps, and shouts of protest. "ORDER!" the Judge boomed, but even he could not extinguish the outbursts. "I will have order! Mr. Wright, is this some sort of joke?! You are a defense attorney!"

"Not anymore." With a smarmy smile, Phoenix flashed his badge. But it wasn't the golden, sunflower-shaped defense badge. It was a small red orb surrounded by tendrils of white and gold. A prosecutor's badge.

"What...WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!" Apollo screamed. That was the only thing he could think of. _This can't be happening...this can't be happening! W-why...?_

Athena, the mortified expression on her face matching Apollo's, opened up the Mood Matrix and scanned Phoenix. "A-Apollo! Look at this!" The holographic screen of the Mood Matrix was flashing red and giving out warning signals. "It's his...anger! It's overloading the system!" But Apollo could hardly even file that information into his head. The shock was too powerful.

"M-Mr. Wright!" the Judge yelled over the commotion, his eyes wide. "Are you meaning to tell this court that you...you're a PROSECUTOR now?!"

"Finally caught on, did you?" Phoenix snapped. "I suggest we should stop with the formalities and get on with the trial."

The Judge's eyes narrowed. "...I find it hard to believe that you just became a prosecutor suddenly."

Phoenix crossed his arms. "Oh, really? I've taken and passed the bar exam twice before. It was easy to ace it...again."

The Judge rapped his gavel. "This court has been tricked by fake prosecutors and defense attorneys too many times, and I intend for it not to happen ever again. The Chief Prosecutor is in charge of presenting badges to new prosecutors, correct?"

"That would be correct, Your Honor," Phoenix said.

"Then, this court will call a ten-minute recess to contact the Chief Prosecutor and verify that Phoenix Wright is indeed a prosecutor now."

The Judge was about to bang his gavel and adjourn the court when Phoenix simply said, "No."

"What do you mean, 'no?'" Athena growled. "You can't just go against the Judge!"

Phoenix slammed his hands down on his podium. "I will not allow for such trivial matters to proceed in a court of justice! Do you honestly think I would lie about my profession?!"

"Well, no. It doesn't seem like you to lie, Mr. Wright," the Judge admitted.

"Exactly. Therefore, this trial will begin, and it will begin NOW!"

The Judge nodded slowly, a bit offset by Wright's harsh tones. "Very well, then. The, er, prosecution will give it's opening statement."

"No! He's lying! He has to be!" Apollo cried.

Athena looked at him sadly. "Apollo...you know he's not. I can't hear any discord in his voice. I think...I think he really became a prosecutor while he was gone."

"N-no..." Apollo shook his head rapidly. "Y-you're wrong! Mr. Wright would never do something like that! There has to be another explanation...there just has to be!"

Athena's look of pity only grew. "Apollo...do you want to go think about this for a bit? I can handle this case."

"No!" he growled. "I'm FINE!"

Athena raised her palms in a signal of peace. "J-just a suggestion..."

"You need to calm down, buddy!" Widget said accusingly. Apollo took Widget's advice and took a few deep breaths.

"Are you done?" Phoenix snarled. When there was no answer from the defense, he continued. "Good. My opening statement: Despite what the tabloids are saying, the defense has no chance of winning. I have decisive logic, decisive evidence, and decisive testimony."

"Hm..." the Judge said. "You appear to be very confident that the defendant will be declared guilty, Mr. Wright."

Apollo stared at the man standing at the prosecution bench. Phoenix was his mentor, his role model, almost his father. Sure, especially when they first met, Apollo would get angry at him sometimes. But he could never hate him, or be frightened by him. Yet he felt both those emotions when he looked at that man wearing the prosecutor's badge. _Of course...! That man...that man isn't Phoenix Wright! He's a phony! Trucy told me that Mr. Wright has been impersonated before. That's what's going on here! Someone is impersonating him to confuse us so we can't do our best job to get Emily acquitted. Well, I won't let that happen! _Yes, that man couldn't be Phoenix. He might have looked exactly like him, but Phoenix Wright would never act so...mean. Phoenix would never have such a harsh look on his face... Knowing the "truth" now, Apollo braced himself for the trial to come.


	6. Chapter 6

**_POV switch to Athena! Just thought I'd let you know._**

**_May 13th, 10:14 AM_**

**_District Court_**

**_Courtroom No. 5_**

The Judge rapped his gavel. "Now that the prosecution has delivered their opening statements, this trial will now officially begin. Does the defense have anything to say?"

Apollo's eyes bored into the prosecutor, but Phoenix simply ignored his opponent's ice-cold stare.

"Um..." Athena said, realizing Apollo wasn't going to say anything. "We, uh, disagree with the prosecution! The defense will be winning this case. We have prepared evidence, _beaucoup_!"

"Is that all?" the Judge asked. "Very well then...oh, and Ms. Cykes, please refrain from using foreign languages in this court. Yo hablo Espanol, pero no hablo...whatever language you're using."

"It's French," Athena muttered. _Come on, Your Honor, how uncultured are you?! _she thought.

Phoenix tapped his fingers against his podium impatiently. "May we begin the trial now?"

"Yes, Mr. Wright," the Judge nodded. "The prosecution will call its first witness to the stand."

Athena frowned. _I...I don't understand why Mr. Wright became a prosecutor all of a sudden. _She brought up the holographic blue screen of the Mood Matrix. After analyzing Phoenix, she found the same results as earlier. Immense amounts of anger, flashing red across the screen. _He's infuriated for some reason...but why? I'm sure it relates to this change in occupation all of a sudden. Maybe after this is al over, I can talk to Mr. Wright about this...? Well, either way, let's get this trial underway!__  
_

"The prosecution calls its first witness...the detective put in charge of the case."

A tall man in a green trench coat walked up to the witness stand. "Detective...Gumtree!" Apollo recognized him.

"It's 'GUMSHOE!" he glowered. "You're worse with names than I am...uh, what was your name again?"

"It's 'Apollo Justice.'" Apollo replied irritably.

"Detective Gumshoe, are you alright?" Athena asked. "You were really sad yesterday..."

Gumshoe scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, I'm okay now. Well...more like if I weren't, I'd be-"

**_"OBJECTION! _**This is not the time for friendly banter," Wright interrupted. "In case you've forgotten, a trial is taking place. Witness, please state your name and occupation."

"Uh, my name's Dick Gumshoe...NOT GUMTREE, PAL!" Gumshoe shot a glare in Apollo's direction. _Geez... _"What, do I look like something koalas climb on?!"

"Actually, uh, yes," Apollo snickered.

"WITNESS, YOUR NAME AND OCCUPATION." Phoenix snarled.

"Dick Gumshoe. Head detective down at the precinct," Gumshoe said, scared into submission.

"Now, you will testify to the basic details of this case," Phoenix ordered.

"Yes, sir," Gumshoe said, and began his testimony.

_"The murder happened at sometime around 9:15 PM. The victim...Maya, was killed in her bedroom.__The cause of death was, uh...a fatal cut on the back of the neck, right. The body was found at 9:20, shortly after the crime took place. __I hate to say this, pal, but that girl is the killer. We've got decisive evidence."_

"I can't see any contradictions so far," Apollo commented.

"But this testimony is pretty vague," Athena replied. "Let's press him, and then we'll get more information."

"Right."

"The defense will begin its cross-examination," the Judge said.

"Okay, let's do this!" Athena exclaimed.

Apollo nodded slowly, unsure of what to say to his partner. _What's wrong with Apollo? I think there's something he isn't telling me...but we don't have time for that now. I'll ask about it later, I guess.__  
_

_"__The murder happened at sometime around 9:15 PM. The victim...Maya, was killed in her bedroom." _

**_"HOLD_**_ **IT!"** _Athena shouted. "Do you have any verification for the time of the murder?"

"Well, uh, the autopsy said so," Gumshoe shrugged.

"Oh...okay. Can we have this autopsy?" Athena asked.

"Sure, pal."

_"The cause of death was, uh...a fatal cut on the back of the neck, right."_

"I present the court with the autopsy report," Phoenix said.

**Autopsy Report added to Court Record.**

"Time of death: Approximately 9:15 PM," Apollo read out loud. "Cause of death: Blood loss from a deep cut on the back of the neck. Uh...we kind of already knew that...a long time ago."

"How?" Phoenix slammed his hands against his desk. "That information was classified!"

"It was on the news," Athena said.

"WHAT?!"

Gumshoe raised a hand shakily. "Well, you see, sir, there was a bit of a...slip-up at the precinct. One of the junior detectives accidentally revealed a bunch of information about the crime to a reporter...and they published it on the news."

"GUMSHOE! How could you let this happen?!" Phoenix roared.

"I-I wasn't even there when it happened!" Gumshoe protested. "I was at your place-"

"I don't want to hear your excuses, Detective! You're in charge of your inferiors, and you'll have to take the blame for their stupidity. You can expect a nice surprise on your paycheck next month."

"S-sorry, sir," Gumshoe sighed.

"Poor Gumshoe," Athena frowned.

"It's alright, kid," Gumshoe said. "I've gotten used to everybody lowering my salary now. Next, the Judge will be doing it, too..."

"That's not a bad idea!" the Judge said cheerfully. Gumshoe flinched.

_"The body was found at 9:20, shortly after the murder took place."_

_**"HOLD IT!** _Who found the body first?" Apollo pressed.

"Well...er...that would be..." Gumshoe stammered.

"I did," Phoenix answered, his face a hard mask. But the emotions in his voice were completely different. As well as anger, shock and sadness flashed brightly. _Well, that only makes sense... _

"YOU discovered the body," Apollo said sarcastically. _Again...what's up with him? Why doesn't he believe Mr. Wright? I feel like there's something I'm missing here..._

"Yes I did, Apollo," Phoenix confirmed. "At 9:20 PM. Do you doubt me?"

"Maybe," Apollo huffed.

"Then show evidence that I was not the person who discovered the body," he challenged.

"Um..." Apollo said, searching through the Court Record.

"Exactly. Baseless conjecture," Wright said smugly. "Your Honor, if you have the slightest doubt that I was the first one to report the crime, then here is evidence." He presented a few papers. "This is a record of a call to the police, reporting a murder at Kurain Village. The call was made at 9:40...on my cellphone."

"A...sell-fone?" the Judge repeated. "Er...that's the thingy my granddaughter uses to talk with her friends, correct?"

"Yes, Your Honor," Athena said, rolling her eyes. She turned to Apollo. "So I guess Mr. Wright was there on the crime scene, after all...he discovered the body."

Apollo nodded, but Athena got the feeling he wasn't listening to what she was saying. His eyes were still locked on Mr. Wright suspiciously, almost as if he was trying to anticipate their opponent's every move.

**Call to Police added to Court Record.**

**Phoenix Wright's Cellphone added to Court Record.**

"Wait, Athena...don't you think there's something weird about the evidence we just got?" Apollo said.

"I don't...oh! I get it! **_OBJECTION!"_**

"What is it now?" Phoenix muttered.

"Mr. Wright," Athena said, "you claim that you discovered the body at 9:20 PM. However, the call to the police reporting the crime was at 9:40! Now, what happened during that 20-minute interval?!"

The court rumbled at this revelation. Athena looked at Phoenix triumphantly, having found a contradiction this early in the trial. But her smile immediately faded when she saw the expression on her boss's face. He looked...in pain. It was like Athena had broken through that indifferent mask and revealed the true grief below. And she felt guilty as heck about it. "I failed you..." Phoenix breathed, looking up.

The Judge rapped his gavel. "Order in the court! Mr. Wright, do you have an explanation for this gap in time?" Phoenix did not respond, that wounded look still on his face.

"I'll tell you, pal!" Gumshoe interrupted. "He was in shock over the loss of his friend! I should know! He was mourning in those 20 minutes...right, pal?"

Phoenix looked away for a second. When he met eyes with the rest of the courtroom again, he had that callous expression on again. "Right," he said forcefully. "In that period, I was grieving over Maya's death. I thought to call the police after some time had gone by."

"That sounds pretty vague to me," Apollo mumbled.

Athena glanced at the Court Record. "But we don't have any evidence to prove that he isn't telling the truth. I think we should let it go for now."

"Fine..."

_"I hate to say it, pal, but that girl is the killer. We've got decisive evidence."_

**_"HOLD IT!"_ **Athena interrupted. "Y-you have decisive evidence?"

Gumshoe nodded. "Yeah. We've got proof that Denue girl was on the scene of the crime...and she was the killer."

"Will you please testify about this proof, Detective?" the Judge requested.

"Sure thing, pal."

_Something tells me this isn't going to end well for us, _Athena sighed inwardly.

* * *

**_Okay, so for these courtroom sections, we're going to have one chapter per one or two testimonies. It will make chapters a bit shorter, but this way I won't get writer's block and I'll be able to _****_update faster. Also, unfortunately, I will soon be going on vacation for a month, and where I'm going, I'll have no access to the internet whatsoever. So I won't be able to write for a while. :/ Anyway, Sparkers16, out!_**


End file.
